Commanders Quote by Algernon Sidney
“We cannot distinguish truth from falsehood, right from wrong, or know what obedience we owe to the magistrate, or what we may justly expect from him, unless we know what he is, why he is, and by whom he is made to be what he is… I cannot know how to obey unless I know in what, and to whom; nor in what unless I know what ought to be commanded; nor what ought to be commanded unless I understand the original right of the commander, which is the great arcanum.”
About This Quote
Source Treat: Discourses on Government, 1766
Understanding obedience requires knowing the nature and authority of the ruler; without that, moral judgments are impossible.
In simple terms: Know the ruler to obey wisely.
Key Takeaway
Study authority before compliance.
Themes
politics
ethics
authority
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- voting
- workplace hierarchy
- citizen duties
- legal compliance
Key Concepts
social contract
legitimacy
political philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- Who defines the "right" authority?
- What if authority is illegitimate?
A Different Perspective
Power can be abused, making knowledge insufficient.
![“[A]ll popular and well-mixed governments [republics] . . . are ever established by wise and good men, and can never be upheld otherwise than by virtue: The worst men always conspiring against them, they must fall, if the best have not power to preserve them. . . . [and] unless they be preserved in…” quote by Algernon Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1c1/algernon-sidney-20606_conspiring_a-ll-popular-and-well-mixed-governments_696129.jpg)
![“[L]iberty cannot be preserved, if the manners of the people are corrupted . . .” quote by Algernon Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/65d/algernon-sidney-20606_freedom_l-iberty-cannot-be-preserved-if-the-mann_1577380.jpg)
